What began as a quiet academic lecture in 2024 has now resurfaced and spreading rapidly across social media. A Chinese-Canadian academic, Jiang Xueqin, had predicted that Donald Trump would return to power and that the United States would face a war with Iran.
As tensions between Washington and Tehran continue to simmer, clips from his 2024 lecture are being shared online. Some social media users have even started calling him “China’s Nostradamus”.
What are the three predictions he made?
In a lecture recorded in May 2024, Jiang made three striking predictions.
- First, he said Donald Trump would return to the White House.
- Second, he suggested that a renewed Trump presidency could lead to a military conflict with Iran.
- Third, he warned that such a war could end badly for the United States.
Who Is Jiang Xueqin?
Jiang Xueqin is an educator who teaches philosophy and history in Beijing. He is a graduate of Yale College and has spent years working on education reform and curriculum design in China.
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Beyond the classroom, he runs a YouTube channel called Predictive History, where he analyses historical cycles, geopolitical interests and game theory in an attempt to forecast global events.
With the first two developments appearing to unfold, the lecture has gained fresh traction online.
During the lecture, Jiang compared a possible US invasion of Iran to a failed military campaign launched by Athens in ancient Greece that ended in disaster.
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A long conflict ahead?
In his most recent lecture, Jiang suggested that the conflict may not end quickly. He believes the war could stretch on for a long time and potentially reshape global politics.
Jiang on TV show
Jiang recently appeared on the news and opinion programme Breaking Points, where he spoke in detail about his assessment of the conflict.
During the discussion, he argued that Iran currently holds several strategic advantages over the United States. He said that the situation has turned into a war of attrition, and Iran has spent nearly two decades preparing for such a confrontation.
He also pointed out that Iran has already tested its capabilities through earlier confrontations. Referring to a 12-day conflict last June, Jiang said the episode allowed Iranian forces to closely study and evaluate the strike capabilities of both Israel and the United States.
He added that the months since then have given Iran additional time to prepare for a larger confrontation.